Lid-operating mechanism for box-couches.



Patents d Feb. 27, I900.

v .1. T. spans. L ID OPERATING MECHANISM FOR BOX CUUCHES.

(Application filed Jan. 11, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)-

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THE NORRIS FETERS co,

No. 644,337. Patent ad Feb. 27, I900. .1. T. sens.

LID OPERATING MECHANISM FOR BOX .GOUGHES.

(Application median. 11, 1900.) V

2 Sheats Sheat 2.

(No Model.)

T: upRRIs PETERS w. PNOTO-LITNO.,'WASN Nrrn TATES PATENT JULIUs 'r. SENG, or oI-IIeAeo, ILLINOIS, 'ASSIGNOR TO THE sENe COMPANY,

OF SAME PLACE.

LID-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR BOX-COUCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,337, dated February 27, 1900. Application filed January 11, 1900. Serial No.1,121. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ,7

Be it known that I, JULIUS T. SENG, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lid-Operating Mechanisms for Box-Couches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in box-couches, and particularly to the mechanism employed for aiding in the raising of the seats or lids thereof. I am well aware that various mechanisms of more or less practicability for this purpose have been devised and patented and among them certain mechanisms designed to accomplish this object while the couch is located against a wall, and it is to this latter style, wherein the necessity of withdrawing the couch from the wall to enable the rear edge of the lid to escape the same in its opening movement, that my present invention pertains.

The objects of my invention are to reduce to a minimum and simplify the number of parts necessarily employed and so organize, connect, and arrange these parts as to facilitate their application to the couch and render the whole mechanism efficient, cheap, and highly practicable.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features of the invention will be particularized in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a transverse sectional View of a box-couch provided with my invention, the couch being shown as closed. Fig. 2 is a similar View, the lid being shown in elevation and the parts in the position they occupy after an initial raising of the lid. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the parts being in the position they occupy when the lid is raised. Fig. 4 is partial section and side elevation of a box-couch, the lid being shown closed and the couch provided with a slightly-modified construction of opening mechanism. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the wall of the couch,the guide-plate,and the securing-plate.

the adjacent back edge of the receptacle por- Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the securing-plate. Fig. 7 is a detail in elevation of the preferred form of slotted guide-plate employed, and Fig. 8 is a similar View of a modified form of guide-plate hereinafter referred to. Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In each of the figures of the drawings wherein the couch is shown, 1 designates the lower receptacle or body portion, and 2 the lid or upholstered seat, which latter in the old form of box-couch was hinged at its rear edge to 5 tion, but which in the improved form' to which this invention relates is independent of the same in that hinges, properly speaking, are entirely omitted and in their stead are employed what I term opening mechanisms. In practicing my invention I secure by screws, bolts, or other fastenings to the 0pposite end walls of the receptacle portion 1 longitudinally-slotted guide-plates 3, which are preferably stamped from heavy sheet metal. These plates 3 may be applied to the said end walls in an inclined position, as I have shown, or if applied in a horizontal manner the same result could be secured by forming the slots on an incline with relation to the plates. I shall therefore for the purpose in view term them guide-plates having inclined slots 4.. The guide-plates 3 may be each provided with a simple straight inclined slot 4, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 8, or, as preferred, the rear end of this slot may be provided with a somewhat-abrupt depression or branch 5, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 7. In either instance the upperlongi'tudinalhalf of this plateis preferably offset from the lower half, as best shown in Fig. 5. These guideplates are located near the rear upper corner of the opposite end walls of the receptacle portionof the couch preferably, but may be otherwise located, if desi red-as, forinstance, along the upper edge. However, the location in which I have shown them I consider the most practicable and certainly so when employed in connection with the hereinafter-described mechanism.

Any suitable device may be employed for aiding in the raising of the lid 2that is, a

lever, as 6, one for each end, or any of the well-known systems of levers now in use or hereafter devised. In the present instance, however, I prefer to employ a simple lever of straight design or what would, more properly speaking, be called a link. This link, then, is, as herein shown, pivotally connected at its lower end to a suitable bracket or fastening 7 of any desired design, securely attached to the end wall of the receptacle portion of the couch, and at its upper end the said link is pivotally attached to the under side of the couch-lid 2. In the present instance I have illustrated one simple way of pivotally securing the upper end of the lever to'the lid-- namely, by way of an angular securing-plate S, the same being shown in its preferred form in detail in Fig. 6. It is obvious, however, that any other means may be employed for connecting the upper ends of these links or levers 6 to the under side of the couch-lid or at any other point desired and found necessary.

The angular securing-plate 8 is believed to facilitate the application of the device, and hence it is preferred to employ the same. This plate is illustrated in its preferred form in Fig. (3, and as therein seen it comprises an upper securing-flange 9, perforated at intervals for the reception of bolts or screws, as indicated at 10, and it also comprises a depending portion 11, to the front corner of which is pivoted, as at 12, the upper end of the link or lever 6. Back of and below this point the plate is reduced in width and offset to form a leg 13, the same by reason of its offset escaping the adjacent guide-plate 3. At the lower end of the leg there may be formed an inwardly or horizontally extending lug 14, provided with a perforation, and above this lug there may extend inwardly from the lug a headed stud 15, formed on or attached to the leg in any desired manner whatsoever. The neck of the stud rides in the slot 4, while the head thereof, if emplloyed, engages the inner edges of the said s ot.

A fastener 16 is secured to each end wall of the receptacle portion 1 of the couch, and extending from each of the said fasteners to the perforated lug 14 of the angular securi ng-plate at that side of the couch is acontracting spring 17. It will be understood that the relative arrangement of the spring with the remaining parts to be actuated thereby may be varied at will, and I have illustrated merely the preferred form. As I have indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, the link 6 may be extended below the pivot-point 7 and the spring be connected thereto and extend from thence either to the rear wall of the couch-receptacle or to the angular securing-plate, all as will be obvious. Moreover, I do not confine myself to the employment of the securing-plate 8, for, as before stated, the upper end of the link or lever 6 may be pivoted directly to the under side of the couch-lid and an arm, lug, or other equivalent of the leg 11 may be employed, the same being wholly independent of the pivotal connection between the couch-lid and the link or lever G. The office of the spring is of course to. aid in the raising of the couch-lid, and it may be given any relative position with the remaining mechanism to accomplish this function. It may be so light in its tension as to be incapable of elevating the lid, or it may be so relatively arranged wit-h the lever 6 as, although under tension when the lid is closed, yet to be practically powerless until the lid is given an initial raise, all as is now commonly practiced in the art. The operation, however, is practically the same. The operator by first giving an initial raise to the lid starts the same, when the tension of the spring begins to be felt and either continues or completes the operation or aids in the same, as the case may be. The rear edge of the lid slides forward a snflicient distance to clear the adja cent wall and at the same time partially turns on the studs 15, which, it will be understood, move in the guide-slots 4. By forming the slots 4 at more of an angle at their rear ends, as at 5, the lid is moved more suddenly upward-- in fact, is given an upward movement the instant the lid begins to move the slightest and before any revolving motion of the lid begins. It is for this reason that I employ this form of slot inpractice, the straight slot having a tendency to permit of the upholstering of the lid to contact to some extent with the wall.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with a box couch, of guide-plates mounted on the receptacle portion thereof near its rear wall, and provided with slots disposed at an inclination to the couch, and means located between and adapted for slidably and rotatably connecting the lid near its rear end with the said guide-plates, and spring-actuated mechanisms for aiding in sliding and partially rotating said lid.

2. The combination with a box-couch, of guide-plates mounted on the receptacle portion of the couch and provided with inclined slots, the rear ends of the slots of the said guide-plates being somewhat abruptly depressed with relation to the remaining portions of the slots, means located between and adapted for slidably and rotatablyconnecting the lid near its rear edge with the said slots, and spring-actuated mechanisms for aiding in sliding and partially rotating said lid.

3. The combination with a box-couch, of guide-plates arranged upon the end walls of the receptacle portion and having slots disposed at an inclination, means for slidably and rotatably connecting the said lid with the aforesaid slots of the plates, and springactuated mechanisms for aiding in sliding and partially rotating said lid.

4. The combination with a box-couch, of opposite inclined plates applied to the inner surfaces of the end walls of the receptacle portion of the couch near the rear upper corher thereof and provided with slots arranged at an inclination with relation to the couch, of means depending from the lid and slidably and rotatably connecting the same with the slots of the plates, and spring-actuated mechanisms for aiding in sliding and partially rotating said lid.

5. The combination with a box-couch, of opposite inclined guide-plates applied to the inner surfaces of the end walls of the receptacle portion of the couch near the rear upper corner thereof, and provided with slots arranged at an inclination, the rear ends of which slots are suddenly depressed or arranged at an angle to their remaining portions, of means depending from the lid and slidably and rotatably connecting the same with the aforesaid slots of the plates, and spring-actuated mechanisms for aiding in sliding and partially rotating said lid.

6. The combination with a box-couch, of oppositely located plates having inclined guide-slots secured to the inner surfaces of the end walls of the receptacle portion of the couch, a plate or bracket depending from each end of the couch-lid and having a lug engaging slidably and rotatably in the slot of the adjacent guide-plate, and spring-actuated mechanisms for aiding in sliding and partially rotating said lid.

7. The combination with a box-couch, of opposite guide-plates secured to the inner surfaces of the end walls of the receptacle portion of the couch, said plates having inclined guide-slots, opposite angular plates or brackets depending from the under side of the couch-lid and terminating in legs offset to avoid said plates and having headed lugs engaging said slots of the guide-plates, and spring-actuated mechanisms for aiding in sliding and partially rotating the said lid.

8. The combination with a box-couch, of opposite guide-plates having inclined slots and secured to the inner surfaces of the end walls of the receptacle portion of the couch, securing-plates depending from the under side of the couch-lid and terminating in depending legs provided With studs engaging the slots, lid sliding and rotating devices arranged in advance of the same, and coiled springs connected to the depending legs and to a point Within the couch-body for aiding in sliding and rotating the said lid.

9. The combination with a box-couch, of opposite guide-plates having inclined slots and secured to the inner surfaces of the opposite end walls of the receptacle portion of the couch, a pair of angular securing-plates located on the under side of the couch-lid and provided with headed studs engaging the said slots and below the same provided with laterally-disposed lugs having perforations, coiled springs connected to the said perforations and to fixed points Within the couch-body, and links connected pivotally to the end walls of the receptacle portion and similarly to the under side of the said securing-plates.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS T. SENG.

Witnesses:

G. J. BIOHE, F. J. SENG. 

